Artifacts in the Park

Imagine merging The Mariners’ Museum’s two greatest assets – its unique, international maritime collection, with its beautiful, 550-acre park.

Artifacts in the Park is a campaign to secure sponsorships to place large artifacts throughout The Mariners' Museum Park, creating a unique park experience. The campaign will rely on the gifts of those who wish to leave a legacy in The Mariners’ Park by pushing its collection outside the Museum’s walls.

Few Museums have the opportunity to create such an experience outside of their galleries. In addition to its 35,000-artifact collection, The Mariners’ maintains the largest privately owned and maintained park in the United States that is free and open to the public.

“The Artifacts in the Park project will revitalize and reenergize the Museum campus and extend the Museum’s mission into the park,” said Director of Collections Management Jeanne Willoz-Egnor. “Increasing access to our collection will encourage park visitors to explore and ask questions about the objects they see. The impact of experiences like this may lead to a life-long love of maritime history and of this Museum.”

Maritime artifacts like those in Artifacts in the Park already hold a special place for many in the community. The program will doubtless appeal to the sense of “ownership” they feel where The Mariners’ Museum and its park are concerned.

“Visitors frequently tell us of their childhood experiences at the Museum or of the impact a visit has had on their life,” Willoz-Egnor said. “Interestingly, all of these stories involve interactions with objects.”

Artifacts in the Park is a realization of one of the key components of a Strategic Plan that was adopted by the Museum’s Board of Trustees this year. One of the objectives of the plan calls for increasing audiences’ access to The Mariners’ collections.

Support for Artifacts in the Park will provide for the artifacts’ restoration, site preparation, mounts, interpretive text and maintenance for years to come. Contributions may be made in cash, securities or other negotiable forms. Gifts will be publicly acknowledged and naming opportunities are available. Gifts may be named in honor of the donor or as commemorative tributes or memorials.

For more information contact:
Kimberly Futrell Hansin
Director of Donor Relations
(757) 591-7733
khansin@marinersmuseum.org